COLLEYVILLE, Texas — As the sun set, they showed up: hundreds, from all walks of life, walked into a Colleyville synagogue to honor 11 souls they'd never met.
In light of such a dark moment, a memorial service at Congregation Beth Israel felt like the right thing to do, said Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker. "Jewish tradition tells us that when we see tragedy, we come together," he said.
But what's different, the rabbi said, is that in the face of this tragedy, the Jewish community is not mourning alone. The attack on a synagogue and its members in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has felt personal to many here in DFW, Jewish or not.
"We have a lot of friends here, and I wanted to show our solidarity and support with them and our love towards them after that terrible tragedy on Saturday," said Joe Tang, who attended the memorial Monday.
Rayan Khan said he came to the synagogue because the congregation had been there for his mosque in previous times of need. "Unity, I think, is the only way to silence the hate in this world," Khan said.
With a Yahrzeit candle flickering in remembrance of the dead, the crowds read the Hebrew 'Mourners' Kaddish'-- a prayer for those who've left us.
For days, people have been leaving flowers and heartfelt notes at this small congregation. So many showed up Monday, the rabbi believed it to be the synagogue's largest event. "We're all in this together. That's what a community is," Rabbi Cytron-Walker said. "It means the world. It means the world."